This invention relates to rain gutters which are commonly mounted upon the fascia of a building and positioned beneath the lowermost extremity of a sloped roof.
Rain gutters are intended to receive rain water from the roof and direct the water to a downspout which conducts the water away from the foundation of the building. In the course of time however, leaves and other airborne debris accumulate within the gutters to impair their functionality. The removal of debris from the gutter is generally a difficult task involving accident risks inherent in working at precarious heights.
Numerous expedients have been disclosed for preventing entrance of debris into the gutter, or simplifying the removal of accumulated debris. For example, strainer-like devices have been disclosed for emplacement upon the open upper extremity of the trough to prevent entrance of debris. However, such devices themselves become clogged with debris, thereby reducing their effectiveness. Shield devices have been utilized wherein water is conducted around a forwardly directed nose projection that rejects debris. Although relatively low water volumes will travel around such nose projections into an underlying gutter, large flow volumes fail to follow the nose projections and fall directly to the ground as though no gutter were present. Furthermore, many shield devices are of a fragile construction incapable of surviving the weight of a ladder and worker when access to the roof or gutter is sought for periodic maintenance.
Gutter systems have been disclosed wherein gutters of reasonably standard design are pivotably supported by brackets attached to the fascia in a manner permitting controlled inversion of the gutter with consequent dumping of its contents. However, the inversion of such gutters and restoration to their upright functional position generally requires difficult manipulations using a long pole from a location beneath the gutter and in the path of the dumped debris.
It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide an eaves rain gutter which can be easily cleaned of accumulated debris.
It is another object of this invention to provide a gutter as in the foregoing object which permits dumping of accumulated debris without requiring the operator to utilize upward reaching tools or be positioned beneath the gutter.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a rain gutter of the aforesaid nature of rugged and durable construction amenable to low cost manufacture.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.